The Portland daily press., 1887-08-26
LELAcHEuR WAS THERE.
Hottest kinclof asTemperance Field
Day at Old Orchard.
An Anti-SaIoon Republican from the
West Participates,
And Helps the Portland Preacher
Double UP a Third Party Man.
Especial to the Press.l


OLD ORCHARD, August 25.-Poli tical tenn
perance day opened at the camp of the New
England Royal Templars this morning with
large audience and stirring temperance ad
dresses. AT the forenoon meeting, r. Z.
Wilson Of Auburn. Grand Councillor of New
England, presided. The chairman opened
the meeting with short address, stating
the topic of discussion. Col. w. e. Eustis of
Dixfeld, chairman of the Prohibition State
Committee, opened the discussion by advo-
eating the need of Prohibition party in
Maine. Mr.. Eustis said; "How best to ef-
feet universal prohibition is the subject
which we are to discuss. My belief is that
prohibition can never be made National un-
til all temperance men of all parties come
together in one party. 1t cannot be effected
in either of the two old parties. / don't
believe that any good for temperance can
come out of the Democratic party. There
are good honest Christian men in that party,
but nothing good in the way of aid can come
out of the Democratic ranks. Nor either, on
this matter of temperance, out of the Re-
publican ranks. The only argument against
the Prohibition party is that it is insignif-
cant; has no strength. Admitting Senator
William p Frye's statement, that three
quarters of the Republican party are tenn
perance people, what are the other one-quar-
ter? Rumsellers and their sympathizers
You say in Maine that the Republican party
is the temperance party. Here is the history
In 1876 the first prohibition law was passed
by Democratic government. 1t drove
every dstillery and every brewery out of the
State. Then Maine Law League was
started. In 1851 a Democratic Legis-
lature and Democratic Governor passed
and signed the Maine liquor law. In 1856
the Maine Law League merged into the Re-
publican party. In 1857 the Republican
party came into power. Did that party at
once re-enact the M aine Law? No. They
said we will let the people try license In
1858 Republican Legislature. No law
enacted They submitted the question to
the people of Maine and they enacted it by
large majority. OF what use are laws un-
less they are enforced? If the Republican
party today fully sympathizes with prohibit
tion, why don't they enforce the law9 Why
are there 100 open rumshops in Bangor?
And not only Bangor, but there is liquor
flowing in Oldtown, Belfast, Bath, Portland.
Lewiston, and many other places l could
mention. What power or voice have the
good Republican temperance men in their
party? l heard Ivory Hatch, notorious
rumseller of Augusta say at the close of the
last campaign, 81 voted the Republican
ticket because had to for protection" But
am willing to acknowledge that the rum
sellers naturally belong to the Democratic
party. Let the National government say,
Thou shalt not and the thing is done.
cannot understand how the rumsellers and
Christian ministers can both walk up to the
polls and cast the same ballot. The rum
seller surely knows what he is about The
minister must be deceived
Col. Eustis made the same old comparison
telling of Abraham Lincoln whiting a
stick and idly listening to Lewis Cass on the
slavery question, and finally himself becom-
ng, in few years, the presidential candi-
late of third party, which he did not then
believe in, and drawing the conclusion that
40 great political reform could be brought |
about but by third party.
Hon. George M. Dewey, of Owosso, Mich.
was then introduced as an anti-saloon Re-
publican. 81 have been," he said, ''an in.
tensely radical temperance man since was
IA years old. / was present on the occasion
which has been referred to when Abraham
Lincoln was listening to the Kentucky ora
tor, but my brother makes a misstatement
here. There was but one party then, and
that was the Democratic party. The old
Whig was dead The Republican party then
mn iF,tf re MI
ship of gallant son of Illinois banisned
slavery, and they will now under the leader
ship of gallant son of New England Danish
this greater curse, the rum traffic 1 am not
acquainted with the political history of
Maine, but In my own State have been an
active worker for over twenty years. The
Republicans of Michigan for six years have
planted prohibition in their platform, clearly
and uncompromisingly, and won every year.
But we cannot win on this question unless
the people stand together. l don't know
OF Michigan with letter from Neal Dow in |
my pocket saying the Maine prohibtory law
was better enforced than any other law on |
the books. The people enforce our laws, not |
any party. | don't know, however, how |
Maine stands, but Illinois, Wisconsin, Mich |
igan and Kansas are true to temperance. |
When the Legislature of Michigan voted to |
submit constitutional amendment to the |
people, there was but one Republican in both |
branches OF the legislature that voted against |
rum-seller in the State of Michigan who vot- |
ed for the present governor elected by the |
antl-saloon Republicans. The entire Demo- |
cratic party was openly declared for the |
rum influence when the constitutional |
amendment was submitted. The Prohibit |
tion party, as party, did not aid us, max |
ing another stumbling block for us to run |
against. They said, this is Republican |
measure, and let the Republicans carry ii |
through; visited Portland on one of the |
ing rig, and wandered over the city for five |
hours, going into every hard-looking place |
saw; but for ten cents | could not get glass |
Of whiskey to save me-"
:. He stated in closing that if the next Ma |
tional Republican Convention put in for the |
man from the Northwest, Henry |
w. Blair of New Hampshire would have Sec
ond place on the ticket-and not a stronger |
man lives. His eloquent appeal |
elicted enthusiastic applause.
The forenoon meeting then closed.
In the afternoon Rev. ID. w. LeLacheur of |
Portland opened the debate. He said: 81 |
am a prohibitionist l am not a Third Party |
Prohibitionist. A prohibition party is ne |
eessary, and 30 years ago the State Of Maine |
formed the greatest prohibition party known.
By their fruits ye shall know them.' Now |
we taste the fruit. That party had two |
planks only. One was no slavery. No. was |
no rum. They have fought out the first plank |
grandly. They have put their foot on the |
rum power and they are going to crush it. |
This is the Republican party of Maine 30 |
years ago. The Republican party replaced |
upon the statute books of Maine law that |
had been repealed by the Democrats. and |
not one Democrat that voted for the old pro |
hibition law was returned to his seat. Not |
one. The Democratic party have never been |
IN power since they repealed the prohibitory |
law. Now the fruits. ThelRepublican party |
have granted us between so and 40 amend. |
ments. / know of no other party that has |
accomplished anything for temperance in |
Maine in the last 80 years. The Republican |
legislature made temperance text books COM |
pulsory for use in our schools"
The platform of the Third Party was then |
read, and the preamble thanking God for the |
progress in temperance reform in this State. |
on, and the pertinent question |